Ethiopian Slow-Braised Doro Wat with Injera Dumplings
A comforting Ethiopian classic featuring slow-braised chicken in a spicy berbere sauce, served alongside soft injera dumplings that soak up the rich flavors, ideal for a flavorful weeknight meal.
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Overview
Doro Wat is a traditional Ethiopian chicken stew that is richly flavored with berbere spice and slow-braised to tender perfection. This version comes with soft injera dumplings, a creative twist that allows the dumplings to absorb the spicy sauce beautifully, offering a comforting and aromatic meal perfect for chilly evenings.
Why you’ll love it
- Authentic Ethiopian flavors with a balancing blend of heat and depth from berbere spice.
- Slow braising ensures the chicken becomes meltingly tender and flavorful.
- Injera dumplings soak up the sauce, making every bite deliciously satisfying.
- A unique way to enjoy Ethiopian cuisine with a comforting twist perfect for weeknights.
Ingredient notes
Berbere spice: A key Ethiopian spice blend with chili, garlic, ginger, and other warm spices. Available in specialty stores or online.
Chicken: Traditionally made with bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks for best flavor and tenderness.
Injera flour: Traditionally teff flour is used for injera; here, a mix of teff and all-purpose or self-rising flour creates light dumplings.
Onions and garlic: Slow cooking the onions releases their natural sweetness which balances the heat of the berbere.
Clarified butter (Niter Kibbeh): Adds richness and a characteristic aroma; regular unsalted butter can be substituted if unavailable.
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Serving & storage
Serve hot, ideally in shallow bowls with dumplings nestled in the sauce. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs if desired for a traditional touch.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove to preserve texture.
For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Chef tips
- Slowly caramelizing the onions is key to developing the characteristic sweetness and depth in Doro Wat.
- Adjust berbere spice quantity to taste if you prefer milder or more intense heat.
- Use bone-in chicken for better flavor and juiciness in slow braising.
- Store leftover sauce and chicken separately from dumplings to avoid dumplings becoming too soft when refrigerated.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removedchicken
- 3 large red onions, thinly slicedonions
- 4 cloves garlic, mincedgarlic
- 2 tbsp berbere spice blendberbere spice
- 50 g (3.5 tbsp) clarified butter (niter kibbeh) or unsalted butterclarified butter
- 1 tbsp tomato pastetomato paste
- 1 tsp ground gingerground ginger
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock or waterchicken stock
- Salt, to tastesalt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to tasteblack pepper
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional), peeledhard-boiled eggs
- 150 g (1 cup) teff flour or whole wheat flourteff flour
- 100 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flourall-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (if using all-purpose flour)baking powder
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) waterwater
- Pinch of saltsalt for dumplings
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Equipment
- large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- large pan or pot for boiling dumplings
- colander
Nutrition per serving
- Calories520
- Protein38 g
- Carbs40 g
- Fat18 g
Step-by-step
Step 1
Heat the clarified butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering.Step 2
Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring frequently, until the onions become deeply caramelized and soft, about 25 minutes.Step 3
Add minced garlic, berbere spice, ground ginger, and tomato paste to the caramelized onions. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes to toast the spices and develop aroma.Step 4
Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir to coat them evenly with the spice mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally to brown the chicken lightly on all sides.Step 5
Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and braise the chicken for about 60 minutes until tender and sauce has thickened.Step 6
While the chicken is braising, prepare the injera dumplings. In a mixing bowl, combine teff flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.Step 7
Slowly whisk in water until you form a thick, soft dough that can be rolled into small dumplings. The dough should be firm but pliable.Step 8
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Form small dumplings (about 3-4 cm diameter) from the dough and drop them carefully into the boiling water.Step 9
Cook the dumplings for 8-10 minutes until they rise to the surface and are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well.Step 10
To serve, ladle the doro wat into bowls and add the injera dumplings alongside or nestled within the sauce. Optionally, garnish with halved hard-boiled eggs.
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